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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22875997">Snzy in St. Petersburg</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/please_good_sir/pseuds/please_good_sir'>please_good_sir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adorable Katsuki Yuuri, Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Caring Victor Nikiforov, Colds, Coughing, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fever, Fever Dreams, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Sneezing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:41:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22875997</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/please_good_sir/pseuds/please_good_sir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuri comes down with an illness and his alpha is there to care for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Set a few months after Season 1.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late when Victor arrived home from practice. It had been a long day, and he wanted nothing more than to cuddle with his amazing boyfriend. Yuuri had already gone back to their St. Petersburg apartment after Victor dismissed him from training earlier that afternoon. His performance had seemed lackluster today; he'd flubbed most of his jumps, and his skating had lacked the usual grace that captivated his every audience.</p><p>Victor could tell that Yuuri was just as frustrated with the session as he was, though, and so he chose not to comment. He hoped that today had just been a fluke - they all had their off days, but Victor worried that there was something more to it. Perhaps Yuuri anxiety was spiking again?<br/>Victor's own practice had been nothing short of grueling. Yakov had him run through every step of his program at least a dozen times before finally sending him stumbling towards the change rooms. If Victor could ask for one thing right now, it would be a calm evening full of hugs and Yuuri.</p><p>Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other plans for the Russian alpha, for as soon as he stepped through the door, his senses were assaulted by the sharp scent of a distressed omega. Victor's eyes widened and instinct took over as he rushied down the hallway and turned towards their bedroom door, where the origin of the scent was. The door was closed, but he could hear light sniffles coming from behind it. Thinking it was his love's anxiety acting up again, Victor took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.</p><p>"Yuuri?" he called softly, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room. His gaze was immediately drawn to the lump of blankets sniffling in the centre of the bed. He approached it quietly, not wanting to scare his mate, whilst releasing some calming pheromones help settle Yuuri and let him know he was there.</p><p>He was surprised when the blanket burrito shifted, revealing a mess of raven locks and Yuuri's too-pale face, save for his nose and cheeks which were tinted a light pink that was certainly not from the ice.</p><p>"V-Victor?" he mumbled, eyes glazed as he let out another tiny sniffle, before he seemed to snap awake as his eyes widened. "Oh! What time is it? I didn't mean to fall asl-" He was cut off by a wet coughing fit, chest heaving with the force of each breath as he gasped for air between expulsions. "S-sorry," he managed, after the fit was over, glancing over at the platinum-haired man. "W-when did you get home?"</p><p>"Just now," Victor answered softly, brow crinkled in concern as he sat on the edge of the bed, raising a hand to check his mate's temperature. The heat he found there was alarming.</p><p>"You're burning up," he tsked, "Is this why your were shaky at practice today?"</p><p>Yuuri blushed, the redness of his cheeks a stark contrast to the rest of his complexion, and nodded tersely. "I'm sorry that I let it affect my performance. I should be able to push through things like this."</p><p>"Yuuri!" Victor exclaimed, shocked, "You shouldn't have pushed through it at all! I want you to tell me when you're not feeling well. It's dangerous to skate with a fever!"</p><p>"Sorry," his mate mumbled, eyes flitting down to the sheets and twisting his fingers today.<br/>Victor hooked a finger under his love's chin and gently guided his face up to meet his eyes again.</p><p>"It's okay; I'm not mad," he cooed. "I just want you to feel like you can trust me with these things. As my fiancee, you are my top priority, and I want to know when you're not at one hundred percent."</p><p>Yuuri nodded. "I do trust you," he assured, "it's just that I didn't want to fall behind in my skating. World's is only a month away..."</p><p>"Your health is more important than a competition, Yuuri. Besides, there's plenty of time between now and World's, and your performance is already progressing wonderfully. A couple of missed practices won't change that," Victor murmured soothingly, his thumb brushing gently across the Japanese boy's cheek as he cupped his face with one hand.</p><p>Yuuri sighed, leaning into the touch with a contented hum. They both stayed like that, not willing to move, before their moment of peace was interrupted by the smaller boy's nose suddenly wrinkling before a soft, ticklish "chuu!" burst out of him, startling the both of them.</p><p>The omega stuttered out a frantic apology, quickly turning his head to the side and bringing a hand up to his nose as another, wetter "ixtchh!" sounded through the room.</p><p>"Ah, bless you, Yuuri," Victor cooed, unable to stop the wide grin overtaking his features. "I forgot how cute your sneezes are!"</p><p>Yuuri blushed brightly, ducking his head and mumbling another stuttered apology.</p><p>The sight of his flustered, red-nosed omega was too much for Victor to resist. He kicked off his shoes, tossing his jacket onto a chair in the corner of the room before scooping his love up into his arms, shifting them so that the smaller man was cradled against his chest. Running his hand through slightly-damp raven locks, he suddenly noticed the Team Japan jacket Yuuri was still wearing.</p><p>"You're still in your skate clothes!?" he cried, and the omega ducked his head again, cheeks flushing with another blush.</p><p>"I meant to change when I got home, but I lay down for a second and I think I just fell asleep," he mumbled, coughing lightly into his shoulder before letting his head fall onto Victor's broad shoulder.</p><p>"Oh, vozlyublennaya," the alpha murmured. "How about we get you changed before you go back to sleep, yeah?"</p><p>Yuuri nodded wearily, and so he carefully lifted him up, still ensconced in the sea of blankets he'd reated, and placed him on the end of the bed. Victor then went and grabbed some soft grey sweatpants and a long-sleeve navy blue shirt. Somehow, he managed to wrestle the blankets from where they were twisted around Yuuri without jostling the smaller man too much, and quickly helped him change into the comfier clothing.</p><p>The omega sighed as the soft fabrics brushed his skin, and when strong arms wrapped carefully around him and pulled him back into the bed, he couldn't repress the loud purr that emanated from him.</p><p>He quickly felt his eyelids grow heavy, and snuggled even closer into his fiancee's embrace as he drifted off to sleep.</p><p>Victor smiled as his mate melted against him like warm putty, soft and limber beneath his hands. The scent of his love was still a bit strange due to the illness, but comforting nonetheless.<br/>Slowly, the alpha let his head fall back against the headboard of their king-sized bed, eyelids falling shut and breath deepening as he allowed himself to fully relax. This was the cuddles session he had been waiting for.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yuuri's scent seemed distressed at the beginning due to his illness, which drove Victor into full alpha-protective mode.</p>
<p>This is my first fic, so I hope y'all liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yuuri gets a bit worse and Victor does his best to help.<br/>I feel bad for torturing my baby this way, but I couldn't resist the fluff!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yuuri woke to a pounding in his head and an ache deep in his bones. Groaning weakly, he pried his eyes open to find, confused, that the windows of the bedroom were still dark.</p>
<p>Glancing over at the clock, the blurred digits announced it was 2:43am. Yuuri groaned again, shifting in his alpha's arms as he tried to find a position to ease the growing discomfort in his body.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a prickling sensation in his sinuses caused his to shoot upright, and he gasped sharply, before -</p>
<p>"ixchu! itchu! hih - hih ixtchh!!" A fine coat of mist drifted down onto the blankets, and Yuuri blinked dazedly as the world swayed and spun around him, a high-pitched whine escaping his lips as he collapsed back onto the bed, head throbbing even harder than before; it felt like his brain was trying to escape through the back of his skull.</p>
<p>He felt Victor stir beside him, yawning before shooting upright at the sound of his mate's cries.</p>
<p>"Yuuri? Love, what's wrong?" His voice was filled with alarm, hands hovering anxiously over his mate's body as the sharp scent of Yuuri's pain filled the air.</p>
<p>"H-head hurts," the omega whimpered, eyes squeezed tightly shut against the onslaught of agony. He whined again as the alpha's steady warmth suddenly vanished from his side, curling in on himself as shivers wracked his small frame, a numb sort of loneliness rushing over him. Tears began to prick his eyes and he whimpered, but just as the first few began to spill over, a cool washcloth was pressed to his forehead, followed by the tender cooing of his mate.</p>
<p>"Easy, lyubov' moya." Victor's deep, steady tone soothed Yuuri as the scent of pine and cinnamon washed over him and soft hands brushed away the wetness on his cheeks.</p>
<p>The omega sighed as the heat in his skin seemed to crawl out into the cloth and the large hands of his alpha began kneading his temples, slowly and methodically rubbing the pressure points there before circling around to the back of his head, easing the pain in his skull.</p>
<p>Yuuri sighed again, curling further into Victor's warmth and placing his head on the alpha's chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his mate's breathing and thrum of his heart.</p>
<p><em>My love for you is like a heartbeat,</em> Victor had once told him. <em>It is part of me, filling my blood, warming my body, each beat a reminder of us. When I tell you I love you, Yuuri, I mean it with everything that I am.</em></p>
<p>Yuuri hummed contentedly as the memory washed through him, a low purr echoing through his chest.</p>
<p>"Thank you, V'tya," he mumbled sleepily, fingers clutching weakly at his mate's shirt.</p>
<p>"I love you, Yuuri," was Victor's only reply. Yuuri felt a gentle kiss brush against the top of his head as he melted further into his mate's warmth, his purrs growing louder as he slowly drifted off, basking in the scent of his amazing alpha.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thought I would try something from Yuuri's POV. It's a bit short, but hopefully it turned out alright :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Victor woke to the soft hum of his love's purrs. Yuuri was tucked close against his body, raven hair splayed messily across his chest, framing his love's face like a dark halo as his delicate hands clutched the fabric of his mate's t-shirt. Faint rays of morning light filtered through the gaps between the blinds and window frames, tracing the planes of the omega's beautiful face and casting faint shadows across his cheekbones.</p>
<p>Yuuri's pale complexion and snuffly breathing were the only indicators that he was unwell, along with the faintly sharp edge to his scent that usually wouldn't be there. Sighing softly, the alpha tightened his arms around the omega, smiling at the contented noise he got in response. Slowly, large, brown doe eyes blinked up to meet his gaze, accompanied by a sleepy smile on his lover's lips.</p>
<p>"Morning," the smaller man whispered, wincing at the raspiness in his voice. Victor's brows furrowed in concern and he pushed Yuuri's fringe back, laying a hand against the omega's forehead to check his temperature. He didn't feel much warmer than usual, but it was difficult to tell with the warmth of sleep still gracing their bodies.</p>
<p>"Morning, solnishko. I think your fever's gone down a bit since last night," he replied.</p>
<p>The cerulean-eyed man had been quite worried that night when he'd woken to the sounds of Yuuri's whimpers, face scrunched in pain and body trembling. He'd seemed to calm down after a few minutes under his alpha's care, but it worried Victor how quickly the illness seemed to be moving through him. Just yesterday, he hadn't even know the omega was sick, the only signs being a slightly sloppy performance at practice. Fortunately, it seemed his love was being given a bit of a break now, but the hoarseness of his voice indicated that they had a while to go before they were completely out of the woods.</p>
<p>As if to confirm this thought, the omega suddenly gasped before burying his face into Victor's shirt as another round of sneezes burst out of him.</p>
<p>"hih-igxtchu! ngtxsh! tchu! ksh!" His watering eyes blinked dazedly from the force of the fit, before widening in horror as he realized what he'd done. "V-Victor! I'm so sorry - I -"</p>
<p>"Shhh, lyubov moya," the alpha cut him off with a gentle finger to his lips as his other hand used a dry part of his shirt to wipe up the slight mess under the omega's nose. He frowned slightly as the smaller man ducked his reddened face into his chest, an embarrassed whine sounding through the room.</p>
<p>"Yuuri," Victor cooed, lifting the man's chin until he was forced to face his mate. "It's alright," he murmured. "You're sick. Nothing you do could ever repulse me."</p>
<p>Face still flushed, the omega nodded meekly, eyes filled with tears of shame and humiliation.</p>
<p>Victor tsked, gently guiding the younger skater to move up so that he could bury into the crook of his neck, feeling him breathe in deeply as the Russian's soothing pheromones slowly filled the room, washing away all sense of discomfort.</p>
<p>The alpha smiled as his mate relaxed, body melting into his and a small noise of content leaving the dark-haired man's lips. They lay there for a few minutes, breathing in each other's scents, before Yuuri suddenly drew in another sharp breath, body tensing as he stuttered, "V-Victor! I - <em>hih </em>- I have t-to -"</p>
<p>The alpha tightened his arms around his mate, preventing him from squirming away as his breath continued to stutter. "It's okay, solntse, just let it out," he whispered.</p>
<p>"But - <em>hih - </em>tchh! itchh! ixt! ixtch!" Each expulsion brought a hot release of air against the Russian man's skin, speckles of moisture shining on his pale throat.</p>
<p>"heh - iksh! gxt! tsh! tchu! chx! <em>hih</em> - hihtsh! tsh! tsh! hih-ixtchu!"</p>
<p>Growing worried by the amount of sneezes pouring forth from his love, the alpha pushed them up into a sitting position, arranging them so that Yuuri was sitting on his heels as Victor took his face in his hands, hoping the change in position might somehow help alleviate the itch. The tip of the omega's nose was flushed an angry pink color, itchy tears streaming down his face and the skin beneath his nose shining with mucus. His breath hitched wildly, nostrils flaring and then relaxing as the tickle evaded him. Eager to end his love's misery, the the taller man gently swiped a thumb along the ridge of his mate's nose, pinching the bridge and dragging it down before releasing again. The results were instantaneous: Yuuri's eyes squeezed shut and he crumpled forwards with a series of short, gurgling expulsions.</p>
<p>"hihtchh! ktch! chh! ixchh! hihksh! kshu-ixt!" A thin layer of mist shot down onto their legs with each squeak of air, but at last the fit seemed to be over. The omega slumped forwards, exhausted, into his mate's waiting embrace. A weak, high-pitched whine filled the air as the smaller man coughed lightly into the alpha's chest, making Victor tighten his arms in concern. He'd never seen Yuuri like this before.</p>
<p>"Do you usually sneeze this much when you have a cold, Yuuri?" he inquired. He wanted to make sure this wasn't anything too serious.</p>
<p>"Yeah," came the tired reply. "My sinuses usually act up a lot when I'm sick."</p>
<p>Victor hummed in response. He would probably need to buy a humidifier to help ease his love's symptoms, or at least use the steam from the shower to help loosen some of the congestion. Don't get him wrong - he actually found Yuuri's little kitten sneezes to be quite adorable, but he didn't want the younger man to be in any discomfort, or get a sinus infection. He would also need to get some fever reducers and cough medicine, just in case. Oh, and tissues...</p>
<p>His thoughts were interrupted by the omega gently pulling away and stumbling out of the bed, reaching for a pair of track pants as he began to unsteadily step out of his sweats.</p>
<p>"What are you doing, love?" Victor asked, quickly moving to the wobbling omega's side and grabbing his elbow to steady him, brow furrowed in confusion.</p>
<p>Yuuri looked equally bemused. "I'm going to go for a run. You said I can't skate today because it could be dangerous, but I'll be fine getting - ktch! - getting in some dry-land training."</p>
<p>Victor stared at his fiancee, unsure whether to throw his hands up in exasperation or smile at the Japanese skater's dedication. In the end, he settled for a long, drawn-out sigh.</p>
<p>"Vozlyublennaya," he began, "you're not going to get any better is you don't <em>rest</em>. Going for a run in the middle of the Russian winter isn't going to do this cold of yours any favors."</p>
<p>"I could go to the gym downstairs. It's not too cold in there, and I really need to stay in shape for the competition. Please?" Big brown doe eyes blinked up at the alpha, and he found himself succumbing to the omega's wishes.</p>
<p>"Alright," he relented with a sigh. "But no overexerting yourself, okay? We're just gonna do a short run, and that's it," he finished with a stern tone, smiling slightly as the omega nodded eagerly.</p>
<p>"Yes, yes, I promise! No overexerting!" The omega beamed up at him, bouncing on his heels in a sudden burst of excited energy.</p>
<p>The Russian pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, finding only the smallest extra bit of warmth, and sighed, moving to put on his own workout clothes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>oOOo</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They'd been in the gym for a little over forty five minutes, and Victor was growing increasingly concerned for his mate.</p>
<p>Over the course of their jog, Yuuri's breathing has become increasingly raspy, more so than it usually would during a jog, and he occasionally paused to muffle a few coughs or sneezes into his elbow. His latest coughing fit had sounded a bit wet, and his cheeks were flushed just a little too pink for the alpha's comfort.</p>
<p>Dropping down the speed and hopping off his own treadmill, the Russian moved to stand at the front of Yuuri's, facing the younger skater. The omega simply gave him a questioning glance, brow shining with a layer of sweat and face pale aside from the bright flush above his cheekbones and at the tip of his nose.</p>
<p>"Yuuri, it's time to go now," the alpha said, leaning a hip against the side of the machine.</p>
<p>"Just a few more minutes," the omega panted. "Don't you want to do your strength routine?"</p>
<p>"I'm tired," he lied, hoping to sway the smaller man. "I want to go up and shower."</p>
<p>"Oh, okay" Yuuri replied, turning to cough into his elbow. Victor winced at the slight rattle in the sound. "I'll meet you up there in a bit, then."</p>
<p>The alpha frowned and crossed his arms. "Yuuri, you promised you wouldn't overexert yourself."</p>
<p>"I'm not!" Yuuri paused his run, bracing his feet on the edges of the machine and panting as he glared at his mate. "I'm just gonna go for a few more minutes. Stop treating me like I'm some fragile little omega!"</p>
<p>A flash of hurt shot through Victor's chest, but it was quickly replaced by frustration. "Fine!" he snapped. "Have it your way." He moved to one of the benches at the side of the gym with a low grumble.</p>
<p>The alpha continued to brood for a few more minutes as he watched the omega struggle through what would normally be an easy run for him. It was another half hour before Yuuri finally stopped the machine, sagging against the side bar before stumbling off towards the bench.</p>
<p>Victor crossed one leg over his knee, anger and worry battling each other in his head as the omega shuffled towards him, head bowed and shoulders slumped. The alpha gazed sternly at him, braced for a continuation of their argument.</p>
<p>Instead, though, the older skater found himself gasping in shocked concern as Yuuri looked up at him through bright, teary eyes.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Vitya," Yuuri whimpered, voice trembling with barely-restrained tears. "I didn't mean it, I'm just so stressed about the competition and I-" he was cut off by a harsh coughing fit, doubling over as the wet hacks ripped through his small frame.</p>
<p>The Russian was at his side in a second, one hand rubbing large circles into his back while the other gently helped support him, murmuring small assurances into the smaller man's ear as they rode out the fit.</p>
<p>Finally, the coughs ceased, and Yuuri straightened, only to sag into his alpha's chest, whole body shaking with exhaustion.</p>
<p>"'m sorry," he croaked, sniffling quietly as a single tear made its way down his cheek and dribbled into his mate's shirt.</p>
<p>"It's alright, love," Victor whispered, pressing a kiss to his mate's sweaty fringe, feeling the unnatural heat radiating off of him. "It was the just the fever talking, it's okay."</p>
<p>"Don' feel good," the omega sobbed, and the alpha felt his heart twist at the sound, tightening his arms around the trembling man.</p>
<p>"Oh, vozlyublennaya, I know, I know, it's okay," he cooed. "How about we go home and take a nice, long shower, okay? The steam should help loosen the congestion."</p>
<p>Frowning concernedly when the only response he got was a weak nod of his mate's raven head, he gently guided the omega out of the gym, glaring at anyone who sent a second glance towards the couple. It worried Victor how sluggishly the Japanese man moved; it seemed he'd really overexerted himself in the extra minutes they'd been down there. Victor mentally cursed himself as they made their way up to their apartment. He'd let his feelings get in the way of his mate's health, and now Yuuri was hurting because of him.</p>
<p>They made it to the elevators, Yuuri pausing to stifle a series of wet sneezes into his wrist, a muffled cough falling from his lips after as he swayed on his feet. Gathering the man towards him, the alpha wrapped a strong arm around his fiancee's waist to steady him, feeling the scorching heat emanating from his skin as they walked the final stretch to their apartment door.</p>
<p>Once inside, the silver-haired man ushered his exhausted partner towards the bathroom and turned on the shower. He then proceeded to strip both of them and guide the younger skater to stand under the warm water, beginning the slow process of cleaning his love's hair and body for him.</p>
<p>The omega sighed, muscles slowly loosing their tension beneath his mate's gentle hands. Suddenly, he snapped forward with a flurry of wet, itchy sneezes, too tired to bother stifling as they sprayed openly across the wall in front of him.</p>
<p>"itzchu! itsch! tsh! tshu! ikstch!"</p>
<p>The Russian let out a concerned <em>tsk</em> and continued massaging his love's shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to his raven locks as his felt the shorter man wobble on unsteady legs.</p>
<p>"Just a few more minutes, lyubov' moya," he murmured. "We've got to wash your hair."</p>
<p>Yuuri didn't respond, simply standing limply as the alpha quickly finished up cleaning himself and his mate before scooping the younger man into his arms and perching him on the counter so he could dry him with a fluffy white towel.</p>
<p>The omega shivered at the cool air of bathroom, letting out a small whimper as the cold marble countertop touched his skin. He felt his love's soft, warm thumb swipe beneath his nose, catching the small stream of clear mucus that had begun running down his upper lip.</p>
<p>"I think the congestion's clearing up a bit," the alpha hummed, azure eyes filled with an endless warmth and love reserved only for those closest to him. Yuuri sometimes felt he could drown in those oceanic orbs, having deemed it long ago to be one of the best ways a person could possibly exit this world.</p>
<p>The Japanese man sighed in contentment and nuzzled into the hand on his cheek, eyes slipping shut as he felt himself begin to doze off. He was vaguely aware of those strong arms carrying him to the softness of their nest on the bed, and a firm, warm body being pressed up against his.</p>
<p>He heard his love murmur something, but it sounded like he was listening from underwater, sound and light blurring together as he slowly drifted off to sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A little bit of angst here, but the next chapter is all fluff, so don't worry!!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The cold, bright ice glinted menacingly beneath his skates, the sharp scraped of metal on ice filling his ears, drowning out the roar of the crowd. Yuuri knew, without looking, that he was at the Grand Prix. He glanced up to the stands, saw thousands of faces staring down at him expectantly. The Japanese man breathed in, then out, fighting to still the trembling in his limbs.</em>
</p><p><em>The music started up, and he began to move. Something was wrong; he could feel it. His movements were sloppy, delayed, his balance wavering in ways it shouldn't. </em> <em>His knees gave way beneath him, and he crashed to the floor, curling into a ball as the deafening cries of outrage from the audience filled his head. His temple pressed into the ice, eyes welling with confused tears. He didn't know what was happening; where was Victor? The thought of the silver-haired alpha had him pushing up on his elbow, glancing dazedly around the rink in search of his mate.<br/></em></p><p>
  <em>There! Victor stood at the edge of the rink, hands clutching at the barrier as he looked at Yuuri. The omega tried to call to him, apologize for failing his routine, but no sound left his throat. The younger man tried pushing himself up on his elbows, trying desperately to reach his mate, but his quivering arms gave out beneath him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yuuri collapsed back against the ice, wide brown eyes staring pleadingly at his alpha to help him. Victor looked away, face pained, and slowly turned to begin walking away from the rink. Yuuri watched, mouth open in a silent scream, as the Russian man slipped through one of the doors of the arena and left. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The omega sobbed, tears pouring from his eyes and splattering onto the ice. A deep, all-encompassing emptiness clawed through him, tearing through him so painfully he thought he might pass out. Victor was gone. Victor was gone.<br/></em>
</p><p>Yuuri gasped, shooting up in bed and blinking as the image of his mate's turned back slowly faded to reveal the dark bedroom before him.</p><p>"V-Victor?" the omega whimpered, clawing weakly at the sheets beside him, heart dropping as his hand closed around empty air. "Victor!"</p><p>A low whine fell from his lips and he began to tremble, pushing himself up onto his elbows as he frantically scanned the room for his lover. There was no sign of the Russian. Panic and loneliness welled deep inside him and he mewled. <em>Victor left</em><em>.</em><em> He doesn't want me. </em></p><p>He wondered if this was what drowning is like - to watch, helpless, as the dark waters closed in around your sinking form, stinging your skin and filling your lungs until you, too, became a part of it. The loss and heartache were too much to bear. He couldn't lose Victor. He couldn't.</p><p>The Japanese gave a pained gasp, chest heaving and shuddering as he began to bawl in earnest, a series of hacking coughs erupting from him at each anguished cry. Everything hurt. The fear and pain of losing the most precious part of his life was unbearable and he found the sob bursting out of him with more and more desperation, a huge tidal wave of grief flooding through him with such force that it was difficult to breathe.</p><p>Suddenly, a loud bang reverberated through the room, startling the omega into flinching backwards, breath shallow and eyes wide as he stared at the source of the disturbance. The door to the room was flung wide open, cold white light spilling in from the hallway and illuminating the raven's tear-streaked face as he blinked, uncomprehending, at the sight of his mate standing frozen in the doorway with a look of wild panic across his features.</p><p>Before the younger man could open his mouth to question if this was real, Victor snapped out of his shocked stance and rushed forward to where the omega had curled up against the headboard. Strong, pale arms wrapped around Yuuri's trembling frame and pulled him into the Russian's lap, azure eyes scanning frantically over Yuuri's body in search of what could be causing his love to make such pained cries. Yuuri, on the other hand, all but collapsed into the alpha's chest, sobs continuing to burst from his lips as he locked his arms in a vice grip around the taller man's chest, coughing and sputtering against his shoulder.</p><p>"Don't leave me," he choked, eyes wide and scared.</p><p>Victor clutched at his omega, heart pounding as he tried to calm both himself and his mate. "Never," he whispered. "Never." He'd just gotten back from a quick trip to the pharmacy when the frantic screams and burnt scent of his love's despair had slammed into him like a freight train. He'd been more terrified in those few seconds than ever he'd felt in his life, and he knew that the sounds of Yuuri's cries would haunt him for many years to come.</p><p>"Oh, lyubov moya," Victor murmured, rocking the younger skater back and forth. He fought back tears of his own as the omega continued to fall apart in his arms, the sharp scent of his pain flooding the through room and making each inhale bring fresh waves of helplessness to the alpha. He continued hushing and cooing as Yuuri wept, whispering quiet reassurances to his mate as he fought to keep his own emotions under control.</p><p>"Breathe, detka, breathe," he murmured, heart clenching as the younger man succumbed to yet another harsh coughing fit. The heat radiating from the omega was startling, and as soon as the Japanese man's sobs began to lessen into a constant, quiet whimpering, Victor scooped him up and hurried over to the bathroom in search of a thermometer. The younger skater didn't even seem to notice the change in location; he simply continued to clutch weakly at the alpha's shoulders as silent sobs shook his thin frame.</p><p>The alpha gathered the man back towards him, running a soothing hand through his hair and murmuring gentle assurances. The thermometer beeped, and Victor retracted it from Yuuri's mouth to check the number: <em>39.1</em>. Victor frowned. Any higher and he would have to take Yuuri to the hospital.</p><p>Pushing back the wave of concerned panic threatening to rise in his chest, the Russian rinsed off the device and then lifted the smaller man off the counter, heading towards the kitchen. He stopped to pick up the heavy plastic bags he'd dropped in his earlier rush to get to Yuuri. They were stocked to the brim with supplies for Yuuri's sickness, and he silently thanked his past self for having the foresight to buy fever reducers.</p><p>After scanning the instructions to find the right dose for the omega, he gently coaxed the younger man into taking the pills. At this point, Yuuri had fallen into some sort of half-asleep delirium, so it was fairly easy to convince him to take the meds. Afterwards, though, the omega seemed to droop even further, as though even that small action had taken too much energy out of him, slumping wearily into Victor's arms with another quiet whimper.</p><p>The alpha sighed, wrapping his arms tightly around his fiancee's overheated body and peppering kisses over his raven locks. "I never should have left you alone in this condition," he whispered, dismayed, as he carefully transported them back to the bedroom.</p><p>A small, selfish part of him that sounded suspiciously like his inner alpha felt giddy at the chance to finally care for Yuuri in the way the Japanese man so often denied himself of, but the rest of him was too worried at seeing his love so a weak and vulnerable to glean any sort of satisfaction.</p><p>"V-Vitya?" the omega whispered as he was gently deposited on the bed, hands reaching out to grasp Victor's wrist as though he was afraid the alpha would vanish if he let go.</p><p>A pang of guilt flashed through Victor, and he used his free arm to quickly shrug off his jeans before climbing into the sheets and gathering the smaller man towards him. He knew it might not be the best idea for Yuuri's fever, but he needed to be close to his mate, for both their sakes.</p><p> </p><p>oOOo</p><p> </p><p>"-ri. Yuuri." A deep, soothing voice pierced through the haze in Yuuri's mind, and he opened his eyes with a small groan.</p><p>"Vitya?" he mumbled, squinting at the blurred form before him. A low whimper built in the back of his throat as he registered the merciless headache throbbing behind his eyes, the strange fuzziness coating all his senses.</p><p>"We need to check your temperature," the alpha murmured, gently guiding his mate into a sitting position before something thin and cold was pressed against the omega's mouth. Bemused, Yuuri parted his lips to allow the foreign object access, blinking up into the blurred pair of blue eyes that hovered before him.</p><p><em>A thermometer</em>, his mind belatedly supplied. He closed his eyes and fought back a whine as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Not a moment later, a quiet beep pierced the air of the room, causing the omega to wince as the pain in his head spiked. The device was retracted from his mouth, and Yuuri blinked up to find Victor holding the device in his hands and frowning at the numbers flashing on its screen.</p><p>"Whatsit say?" Yuuri slurred, exhaustion pressing down on him like a weighted blanket.</p><p>The alpha pursed his lips, gazing down at the thermometer for another second before leaning over to place it on the beside table. "It's still too high," he announced. "We're going to need to cool you off a bit to help it go back down, okay?"</p><p>Yuuri fought back a whimper at that. He already felt terrible; he want to add feeling cold on top of everything else.</p><p>Sadly, though, it seemed his alpha had other ideas, for soon several of the thicker blankets Yuuri had piled onto the bed were being firmly tugged away from him, leaving nothing but a thin white sheet that did little to stop the cool night air from sweeping across his skin. Shivers wracked the skater's body, and this time Yuuri was unable to suppress his whine. Victor's warm fingers laced through his own, gripping tightly in a gesture of comfort.</p><p>"I'm sorry, lyubov," the Russian whispered, fighting back the urge to wrap the omega in his arms. He knew that his body heat would only add to the blazing fever coursing through his mate's body, so he clenched his jaw, steeling himself. This was what's best for Yuuri.</p><p>Yuuri's whines gradually eased into quiet whimpers until finally, exhaustion won out over his discomfort, and he drifted into off a restless sleep, hand clutching tightly around his lover's.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not really sure how this chapter turned out, so feedback is always welcome!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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